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64th  Congress  )  /Document 

Jst  Session      \  bbNAib  |     No.  437 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  CHILE 


AN  ADDRESS 

DELIVERED 

AT  THE  LUNCHEON   GIVEN   BY  THE  MINISTER  OF  FINANCE  OF 
CHILE,  AT  THE  UNION  CLUB  IN  SANTIAGO,  CHILE,  ON  APRIL 
18,  1916,  IN  HONOR  OF  HON.  W.  G.  McADOO,  SECRETARY 
OF   THE  TREASURY   AND    CHAIRMAN   OF    THE 
UNITED  STATES  SECTION  OF  THE  INTER- 
NATIONAL HIGH  COMMISSION 


BY 

HON.   W.    G.   MCADOO 

SECRETARY  OF  THE  TREASURY 


PRESENTED  BY  MR.  FLETCHER 
May  9,  1916.— Ordered  to  be  printed 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMEN.   PRINTING  OFFICE 

1916 


THE  REPUBLIC  OF  CHILE. 


ADDRESS  BY  HON.  W.  G.  McADOO, 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 


Mr.  Minister,  Excellencies,  and  Gentlemen:  Permit  me  to 
propose,  on  behalf  of  the  delegation  of  the  United  States,  the  health 
of  the  President  of  the  Republic  of  Chile  and  the  prosperity  and 
increasing  greatness  of  the  Chilean  Nation. 

(The  toast  was  drunk  standing.) 

Mr.  Minister  [addressing  the  Mmister  of  Finance],  I  am  deeply- 
touched  by  your  very  generous  words.  When  I  hear  such  senti- 
ments, especially  when  they  are  commingled  v/ith  praise  of  myself, 
I  wish  witii  all  my  soul  that  I  deserved  them.  For  my  colleagues  and 
myself  words  are  insufficient,  even  though  those  words  were  a  com- 
bination of  all  the  languages  of  the  world,  to  express  to  you  ade- 
quately our  sentiments  of  esteem  and  appreciation  of  the  people  of 
Chile,  and  especially  of  our  colleagues  oi  the  Chilean  section  of  the 
International  High  Commission  over  which  you  so  ably  presided, 
and  our  constant  gratitude  for  your  generous  and  cordial  welcome 
into  this  great  land  of  yours. 

We  are  most  happy  to  be  here.  The  joy  of  our  stay  is  modified 
only  by  the  brevity  of  its  duration.  We  wish,  mdeed,  that  we  could 
remain  longer  to  see  more  of  your  people,  to  fraternize  more  inti- 
mately with  them,  and  to  learn  more  of  the  resources  of  your  great 
country.  What  we  have  seen  has  convinced  us  of  the  tremendous 
possibilities  of  its  future  development.  We  are  satisfied  that  it  is 
only  a  question  of  time  when  your  Nation  and  our  Nation  will  be 
drawn  together  even  more  closely  than  in  the  past,  and  that  by  recip- 
rocal action  we  shall  be  able  to  contribute,  in  some  measure  at  least, 
to  the  development  of  your  resources,  as  we  know  that  you  will  be 
able  to  contribute  to  our  progress  and  to  our  civilization. 

In  the  work  we  have  done  at  Bucnoi  Aires  the  Chilean  delegation 
played  a  most  important  part.  The  ability  of  your  representatives 
contributed  greatly  to  the  wise  conclusions  we  reached  tliere.  Those 
conclusions,  Mr.  Minister,  if  they  can  be  translated  into  action,  will, 
in  my  judgment,  have  a  profound  effect  upon  the  relations  of  the  two 
American  Continents.  It  isn't  enough  to  have  a  vision;  any  man 
can  have  a  dream;  but  a  vision  is  worth  while  only  if  it  is  translated 
into  reality.  The  statesman  with  a  vision  but  without  the  power  of 
action  is  a  visionary  statesman;  but  the  statesman  with  a  vision  and 
the  power  of  action  is  a  serviceable  statesman.  Therefore,  it  is 
necessary,  gentlemen,  that  we  who  are  striving  for  the  realization  of 
the  vision  which  originated  with  the  great  Bolivar  in  the  early  part 
of  the  nineteenth  century  should  translate  that  vision  into  reality; 


4  Tin:    KEPUBLIC    OF    CHILE. 

tha.  wo  should  make  ofl'cctivo  the  dream  of  the  statesmen  of  two 
coiitiuents  by  briiif^inti;  the  Americas  ch)ser  together  and  making 
tliem  a  unified  pe()j)h'  in  the  common  purjiose  and  determination  to 
serve  not  only  themselves  l)ut  mankind  throughout  the  world. 
Unless  we  can  do  that,  all  that  wc  are  striving  for  will  be  only  meas- 
urably beneficial.  I  say  measurably  because  unless  wc  attain  the 
])erfection  of  our  endeavor  we  can  not  serve  humanity  in  the  highest 
degree. 

Now,  what  is  tlie  purpose  of  Pan  Americanism,  and  what  is  it 
that  we  are  striving  for?  We  are  striving  to  bring  about,  through 
unity  of  purpose  and  action  by  homogeneous  and  independent  States 
throughout  the  Americas,  that  solidarity  and  common  accord  with 
each  other  which  will  enable  us,  so  far  as  the  world  is  concerned, 
to  present  a  united  front  when  it  is  necessary  to  act  unitedly  for  the 
best  interests  of  mankind.  That  is  what  we  are  attempting  to 
accomplish.  I  know,  of  course,  that  that  is  a  difficult  task — an 
enormously  difficult  task — but  because  it  is  difficult  it  is  the  more 
worth  while,  and  because  it  is  difficult  it  is  all  the  more  inspiring. 

.\nd  when  I  speak  of  difficult  tasks,  I  know  that  there  is  a  responsive 
thrill  in  the  breast  of  every  Chilean,  becau';e  the  Chilean  j)eo])le  arc 
accust(mied  to  difficult  tasks.  Nature  put  before  you  a  country 
which  could  only  be  conquered  liy  the  virile  and  courageous  character 
of  the  men  who  liave  settled  here,  and  you  liave  proven  yourselves 
ca])able,  by  the  progress  you  have  made  in  this  great  country  of 
yours,  of  achieving  anything  to  wiiich  you  set  your  hands.  [A  j-)]ilause.l 
That  is  the  reason  why  as  between  the  Cliilean  people  and  tlic  people 
of  my  own  country — and  I  think  I  may  claim  shnilar  virtues  for  them 
without  seeming  to  praise  immodestly — that  is  the  reason  why  our 
p(M)ple  and  the  Chilean  people  have  been  so  much  in  sympathy  with 
each  other:  that  is  the  reason  why  we  feel  in  accord  by  natural  in- 
stinct and  common  jnirpose.  This  s^nnpathy  does  not  have  to  be 
generated;  it  exists  already.  [Applause.]  All  we  liave  to  do  is  to 
give  it  fair  play  and  full  ojieration. 

We  have  hoj)ed  that  b}^  coming  to  Soutli  America  and  meeting  you 
face  to  face  and  conferring  with  you  iii  the  intimate  fashion  that  pre- 
vailed at  Buenos  .\ires  we  could  reach  not  only  sound  conclusions, 
but  that  we  could  stimulate  that  interest  in  great  purposes  which 
would  make  us  realise  them  all  the  sooner.  I  hope  that  every  man 
wiio  was  in  that  conference  returns  to  his  home  with  the  full  determi- 
nation and  purpose  to  make  effective  the  results  of  that  conference. 
TiH>  only  way  we  can  do  it  is  to  have  the  commission  of  each  country 
rei)resented  then^  continue  as  a  permanent  body  to  urge  upon  the  dif- 
ferent Governments  the  necessity  of  translating  into  action  the  con- 
clusions of  the  conference.  By  that  sort  of  (h^termined  effort  we  can 
get  results. 

For  more  than  100  years  wc  have  talked  about  tlK'se  things,  and 
for  the  last  30  years  we  have  endiodicd  these  things  in  resolutions, 
but  resolutions  will  not  of  themselves  accomplish  much.  They  must 
be  followed  up  with  concrete  and  detennined  effort,  and  once  wo 
have  applied  ourselves  in  that  spirit  I  know  that' we  can  realize  our 
aims. 

(Jcntlcmen,  I  feel,  as  we  view  the  tremendous  ralamity  which  has 
befallen  10uro])e,  that  the  civilization  of  the  world  has  l)een  relegated 
to  chaos.     I5ecaus(^  of  that  very  chaos  and  the  horrible  suffering  it 


THE    REPUBLIC    OF    CHILE.  O 

has  brought  upon  mankind  there  is  a  cravin.2;  in  every  humaii  breast 
that  some  solution  for  permanent  peace  shall  conie  out  of  this  great 
struggle.  I  can  not  help  feeling  that  responsibility  for  the  peace  of 
the  vrorld  in  the  futm-e  rests  upon  the  Western  Hemisphere. 

I  believe  that  if  ^ve  can  bring  about  this  Pan  American  ideal  we  can 
make  each  nation  feel  that  as  to  its  own  possessions  it  is  secure  against 
aggression;  that  as  between  ourselves  we  are  safe  with  each  other, 
that  we  can  trust  each  other,  that  we  can  confide  in  each  other;  that 
our  efforts  will  not  be  wasted  in  arming  against  each  other  and  that 
our  strength  will  not  be  expended  in  fighting  each  other;  then  we 
shall  be  able  to  devote  our  best  energies  to  the  peaceful  conquests  of  a 
high  civilization. 

When  we  can  preserve  the  equilibrium  of  civilization  ^ye  shall  have 
attained  an  ideal  of  immeasurable  benefit  to  humanity.  With  a 
united  America  we  would  not  have  to  use  force,  because  we  could  tip 
the  scales  through  our  own  weight  in  favor  of  peace  throughout  the 
civilized  world.  We  could  say  to  nations  which  intend  to  war  with 
each  other  that  if  you  war  with  each  other  wo  shall  not  support  you 
in  any  fashion,  but,  on  the  contrary,  we  shall  withdraw  all  the  sup- 
port of  which  we  are  capable.  By  use  of  the  economic  power  of 
united  America  we  could  prevent  any  nation  from  going  to  war,  and 
couUl  make  an  end  of  the  crime  of'kiUing  human  beings  to  settle 
needless  controversies. 

Gentlemen,  on  yesterday  I  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting  your  Military 
Academy  in  company  of '  your  distinguished  Secretary  of  War  and 
other  distinguished  members  of  your'Cabinet.  I  know  of  nothing  I 
have  enjoved  so  much  in  a  long 'time  as  the  discipline  and  military 
bearing  manifested  by  the  young  men  in  the  service  of  Chile.  One  of 
the  things  which  impressed  me"  most  was  the  spirit  of  those  young 
men.  It  is  not  numbers  or  wealth  or  vastness  of  territory  that  make 
a  nation  great;  it  is  the  people  of  a  country  that  make  a  nation  great. 
[Applause.]  And  no  people  can  be  great  unless  they  have  a  spirit, 
and  that  spirit  must  be  the  intense  spirit  of  nationahty,  the  spirit  of 
that  matcMess  patriot  of  my  owir  country — Nathan  Hale — who, 
when  condemned  to  an  undeserved  death  as  a  spy,  said." I  regret 
that  I  have  only  one  life  to  give  for  my  country."  That  is  the  spirit, 
gentlemen,  which  I  believe  animates  the  Chilean  people;  that  is  the 
spirit  which  those  young  men  yesterday  gave  so  much  in  evidence. 

And  now,  my  friends,  we  must  leave  you.  We  wish  we  could  stay 
longer.  We  have  enjoyed  your  hospitahty  more  than  I  can  express. 
I  have  been  asked  several  times  if  I  was  tired  because  you  have  enter- 
tained us  so  much.  Chilean  hospitahty  does  not  tire;  Chilean  hospi- 
tahty invigorates;  it  is  a  tonic  both  in  quality  and  quantity;  it  is 
good  for  the  health  and  splendid  as  an  inspiration.  We  hope  that 
you  will  all  come  to  our  country  some  day  and  let  us  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  you  feel,  Mr.  Minister,  the  warmth  and  depth  of  our 
affection  and  the  genuineness  of  our  appreciation  of  you  and  your 
great  country.     [Prolonged  applause.] 

o 


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